


I Have Plans

by MistressYin



Series: Just A Word [27]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Scars, Swimsuits, Two-parter, minor cliffhanger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 16:43:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16768972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressYin/pseuds/MistressYin
Summary: Summer is hot and Steve is screwed.





	I Have Plans

**Author's Note:**

> Hahaha. Todays a two-parter.
> 
> And the phrase of the day is...I Have Plans.

“WHY iS IT SOooOOsoo HoT!” Dustin complained. 

Steve shifted awkwardly, heaving a long sigh. The sun shown bright today, the degree ranging in the 90s since the morning, and the Byers home didn’t have the best working air conditioner on the planet.

“Shut up Dustin!” Max rolled over, “Whining doesn’t help.” Her face was pressed tightly against the wooden floors of the entrance/living area. 

Nancy and Jonathon were seated a little ways away, distant for the time. Julie was on vacation to go to Florida, which was like heaven compared to Indiana’s humid hell. 

Steve shook his head, tugging on his long sleeves absently. 

“Dude,” Lucas mumbled, “Ditch the shirt. And gloves. I get in winter but seriously?” he mumbled into the rug, seated next to the Byers fire place.

Steve ignored the command, in stead rolling over to face Mike, who was looking at him contemplatively. 

“Wait, if I remember correctly...” He gave an impish grin, “You my friend, know the quickest way to the closest things Hawkins has to a lake.”

Jonathon raised an eyebrow, his lips thinning into a quirky smile. Nancy’s eyes just softened joyfully, and a little bit mischievous. 

“Why are we going to the lake?” Jane asked, tilting her head. 

Max sat up right. “No one had taught this girl the wonders of fun-swimming?” she asked, looking around. Steve remembered vaguely her saying something about coming from California, and understood her excitement to swim. 

Steve loved the water. This was a face. But he only loved being in the water when he was completely alone, otherwise scars and bruises would be shared. 

Nancy beamed. “We can totally swim,” She turned to Jonathon, “Right? I mean, we’ve got nothing else to do.”

Joanthon nodded. “Sure, I’ll just call mom.”

Steve panicked, realizing abruptly they really were going swimming. “Yea, uh, I have plans, so no booo I can’t go...” 

Dustin groaned. “NO. No way, Steve, of course your going! Who do you have plans with?”

Steve opened his mouth to respond something witty like ‘My girlfriend, I have a life’, but snapped his mouth shut and glared. 

Stupid Florida. 

Dustin smiled triumphantly. 

He resigned himself to life guard position. 

After much excited laughter and chore and when do we eat food negotiations, the kids were separated into Steve, Nancy, and Jonathon’s car. Each would be sent to get their swimming gear.   
He had Jane, of course, along with Max since she was also on that side of town. Nancy obviously had Mike, but she also was with Lucas and Dustin. 

Finally, Will and Jonathon would change here and head on out to the pond in Hawkins woods. 

Steve drove his way to Max’s house, jittery and full of nerves. He really didn’t think seeing his scars would be much of celebration.   
Maybe he should just explain...? But no, that would really kill the mood. He wished he could’ve stuck with his ‘I have plans lie’ now.   
Steve parked the car, grinning at her. “How fast do you think you can get in and out?”

Maxine beamed. “I’m not the Zoomer for nothing.” 

She bolted out the door, leaving it cracked seemingly by mistake but he knew that it was to save time. Jane, in the back seat was already counting in measured breaths, always somehow the same way.   
She bolted across the lawn and ignored the door, running around the house then disappearing into an open window. 

“30, 31, 32...” 

Max hopped back out her window, swimsuit on and clothes bunched in her hand. He took a moment to study her outfit, noting its very revealing style, something he wouldn’t of normally expected of Max. It was a simple blue that went well with her fiery hair, a bikini top and bikini bottom with lots of ribbons. 

She slammed open the door and bounced onto her seat, panting. 

“42!” Jane told her, gracing her with a small smile. Maxine whooped, cheering about record changing clothes time. He didn’t know how she had a record for that. 

Jane titled her head. “What’s in your hands?”

“Oh! Well, we’re about the same size and I just assumed living in a town like this swimsuits weren’t rally on Chief’s top buying priority list so I got you my other one.” She held it up with disdain, clearing trying to hide the thought she put into giving the girl a suit. 

Jane let it slide, studying the suit skeptically. “What will I look like in it?”

Steve hummed. “Pretty, with maybe if added enough sass, bitchin’,” 

Jane grabbed the suit and un-crumpled it. It was far more girly then the one Max had on, bright green with bright pink ruffles and a yellow splashed in. The bottom was a skirt, thankfully, so she wouldn’t have to be wearing a really revealing first swimsuit. 

“Sorry I gave you the worst one, but I can’t move in that suit.” Max explained. 

He looked back at it and realized why. The top had a crisscrossing back that connected to the skirt, making it a flimsy once-piece. 

He looked back to Max’s and saw the bottoms were like extremely tight short-shorts, and had white stripes along it. 

He put the key in ignition and pressed the gas once again, choosing his next words carefully, “They’re better than my moms. She used to wear a leopard print one that was just way to revealing.”  
Jane looked like she sort of liked hers. Or was in deep thought about whether or not she enjoyed it. 

When they got back to the house, Steve slipped inside quickly as the girls jumped to play a good record while he changed. 

He grabbed his trunks and pulled them on fast, moving his clothes over it and forcing himself not to stare at the mirror for longer than necessary while mid-changing.  
He caught a brief flash of the molten burned skin and shook himself off. 

Steve made his way back to the car, getting in with a quick slam to the door and bobbing his head to a vaguely familiar song. He moved once again, this time not stopping until they were as far as the road in Hawkins let them go.   
He got out and grinned as Max and Jane hurried out to meet the rest of the gang. They began walking, making bets on who got there first. He said it was only natural Jonathon was first, they were second, and Nancy was going to be last, but when they arrived Nancy was already there and so were her assigned children. 

He glared at Max as she stuck her tongue out. “I win this time.” 

He looked at Nancy and saw her white one-piece, polka dotted with blue on one half and red on the other, separated by the slight dip that came down on her chest.   
Jonathon was in simple colored, occasionally patterned swim shorts and so was everyone else. 

“Where’s your suit, Steve? Come one man, did you forget it? You had one job!”

He had multiple jobs, thankyouverymuch. But that was beside the point. 

“I didn’t want to drive nearly naked, Byers! That would’ve looked right. Naked guy with two twelve year old girls in his car.” He rolled his eyes as a chorus of ‘ewws’ and ‘I can believe you just said that’  
“It’s the truth!”

Steve nervously fiddled with his gloves, hovering beside the bank of the pond that had a small amount of shards of rocks dusted along it, followed by long tall weeds. But he knew he was forced into it by the way all of them seemed to be waiting for him to jump in the pool, as if going on some code he didn’t know about. 

He pulled them off, rolling them up and setting them on the floor. Everyone was chatting but it seized as he yanked his long sleeved shirt off.   
“Shit.” Dustin breathed, sounding saddened. 

He knew his back was probably the worst, but he ignored them as he tugged back off his pants. 

He stood there awkwardly for a minute, then shrugged his hand up and down, letting them slap back down to his sides. 

“Shits right, kiddo.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks again from MistressYin!


End file.
